This is a very popular dish in the North Indian cuisine. Koftas are actually very versatile and can be made with so many different ingredients and gravies , though this particular kofta is by far the most popular one. Here I’ve used home made cottage cheese made from separating the whey from the solids in the milk. But the store bought cottage cheese works well too. The paneer should be mashed very well to get a smooth texture of the koftas.
Ingredients:
200 gms cottage cheese or paneer
1 large potato boiled
1 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Zeera or cumin seeds
Oil for frying
Method:
Mash the paneer very well with the fingers or the back of a spoon and add the mashed potato and the other ingredients. Mix well and make smooth Lemon size balls . Fry the the koftas in hot oil on medium heat . Stir the them continuously while frying so that they get a uniform golden colour . Drain them on kitchen paper and keep aside.
For the gravy
Ingredients:
1 cup tomato purée
1/4 cup cashews soaked
2 tbsps kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli powder
3 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
4 oil tbsp
2 cups cold milk
Coriander leaves for garnish
Method:
Heat the oil and add the garlic paste to it. Roast it and add the tomato purée. Roast till the oil separates and add the dry masalas . Make a paste of the soaked cashews and add to the roasted masalas. Roast further and kasuri methi. Once the gravy starts drying up take the pan off the heat and add cold milk and mix well. Put the pan back on the heat , bring to one boil and remove from heat. Over boiling can cause the milk to curdle. Adjust the consistency of the gravy with boiling water keeping in mind that the koftas will absorb the moisture. Add the koftas in hot gravy just before serving. Garnish with coriander leaves.